Refreshed Clarke makes good start

Darren Clarke justified his position as pre-tournament favourite in the early stages of the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open today.

Clarke feels he has had a ‘‘very average’’ season by his standards despite winning the English Open for the third time in four years at the Forest of Arden in June.

The Northern Irishman was very disappointed by his joint 37th place in the Open at Muirfield and took two weeks holiday in Portugal to recharge the batteries.

It appeared to have done the trick as he made a good start on his first visit to the course that will stage, after extensive changes, the 2010 Ryder Cup.

Birdies at the second and sixth took the 33-year-old out in 34, two under par, and just one shot off the lead held by Londoner Anthony Wall, Wales’ Bradley Dredge and Italian Emanuele Canonica.

Only six players managed to complete a hole on the first day last year as heavy rain forced play to be suspended at 7.30am.

Further rain throughout the week eventually forced the tournament to be reduced to 36 holes, Dubliner Paul McGinley winning on the fifth hole of a sudden death play-off with Daren Lee and Paul Lawrie.

But tournament organisers were relieved to be greeted by bright sunshine this morning as the 150-strong field teed off in the £1.1m (€1.73m) event.

The tournament will move to a new date next year, from May 29 to June 1, the week after the Volvo PGA Championship and two weeks before the US Open.

Multi-millionaire owner Terry Matthews is confident he will eventually be able to attract Tiger Woods to the event.

Matthews has also laid on his private jet for to fly Clarke, Lee Westwood, McGinley, Philip Price and Lawrie to next week’s USPGA championship on Sunday evening.

McGinley’s victory last year effectively sealed his place in the European Ryder Cup side after 11 other top 10 finishes, but the Dubliner has struggled to recapture that form this year.

He came into the event having missed the cut in four of his last five events, but the hard work he has been putting in on his game appeared to be paying off.

Four straight pars were followed by a birdie at the fifth and at one under he was just two off the lead.